The Handyman was a robotic manipulator developed to handle delicate materials.

The Museum of Science and Innovation

In 1958, GE worked with the US Military to create a manipulator that was sensitive enough to handle delicate objects and that could be controlled remotely.

GE engineer Ralph Mosher helped create the Handyman and described it in a technical paper as a "two-armed master-slave manipulator used to handle radioactive equipment."

A wearable control harness enabled the operator to control the giant mechanical arms. Every time the operator made a gesture or hand movement while wearing the harness, the manipulator would mimic the motion.

Here's the Handyman twirling a Hula hoop.

The Museum of Science and Innovation

"The coupling is so direct and detailed that the man does not have to think about operating the machine. He simply concentrates on the manipulation task itself; he observes the actions of the mechanical arms and hands as if they were his own," Mosher stated in his paper.

Mosher called the Hadyman a Cybernetic Anthropomorphous Machine (CAM) and he saw this kind of control system being useful a wide variety of applications.

According to the paper, he said the Handyman's control system could be used to manipulate things in outerspace, in the depths of the ocean, and for industrial purposes, like construction work.

GE's Hardiman was a giant exoskeleton that would give the wearer superhuman strength.

The suit was attached to the operator at the feet, forearms, and waist.

"The exoskeleton, called 'Hardiman,' mimics the movements of its wearer, presenting a literal union of man and machine. Thus, the human's flexibility, intellect, and versatility are combined with the machine's strength and endurance," the Naval Research Review stated in its July 1967 edition.

However, because the Hardiman itself weighed 1,500 pounds and lacked stability, it never saw mass production.

The Pedipulator was never completed because the Army decided that a four-legged machine would be more stable.

GE's Walking Truck robot was a four-legged machine controlled by a human operator.

In the 1960's, the Army was looking for a vehicle that could carry a soldiers equipment through difficult terrain, according to GE's blog.

So in 1965, GE created the Walking Truck robot, which was the evolution of the Pedipulator.

Standing at about 11-feet tall, the Walking Truck was capable of carrying up to 500 pounds of supplies and could push 1,000 pounds across a concrete floor, according to the US Army Transportation Museum's website.

It was also controlled by a human operator who rode inside the machine.

The walking truck had a top speed of about four miles per hour.

While it wasn't very fast, the machine was capable of moving around and climbing over obstacles.

The machine was delivered to the Army in 1970, but never made it out of testing.